First images of the Nikon 1 J2 mirrorless camera and 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 lens

Those are the first images of the Nikon 1 J2 mirrorless camera and Nikkor 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. As I already mentioned last week, do not expect major upgrades in the J2. The 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 will probably be the new kit lens. I believe the official announcement will be next week. The new batch of Coolpix cameras will probably be announced later.

A nice neat little camera and it meets the need for the demographics it is intended for.

Well, let the bitching begin on NR…

karl

yeah, neat little camera with a neat little kit lens, but where the heck are those fast primes for Nikon 1 ???

Global

Actually, this site is quite good for a tech site. The members get along pretty well. Probably because we are all looking forward to something.

Eric Smith

We get along pretty well, with the exception of all the D800 trolls.

Steve

Some are looking forward more patiently than others eh ?

I’m looking forward to the ultra-wide for Nikon 1. If that turns out to be compact and good quality, I’ll reconsider this as a supplement to my dslr. If it doesn’t, I’ll dump my NEX body+ f-adapter and get a m43 cam with the Oly 9-18, or maybe get an RX100, or maybe get the rumored NEX ultra-wide zoom. I suspect the NEX lens will suck though.

So yeah, waiting, looking forward, trying to be patient… 😉

asdf

Rofl, here we go again.

Meet the demand of what? Oh that’s right, soccer moms.

With the tiny tiny sensor, this is just an useless overpriced piece of crap. Any m4/3 camera eats it for breakfast.

RoyL

Your m4/3 camera is lucky to focus accurately on a crawling snail, and it’s noisier than this “tiny, tiny sensor”. Go rofl with that.

Worminator

Nikon fanboys living in denial. Classic.

Stageshadow

You did never use one of the latest gen m4/3 cameras, did you?
They have fast AF and equal if not better noise levels.
And I am a nikon fanboy!

The E-P3 is good enough for everything except fast moving subjects (and there is no mirrorless camera that is good in that thing) and at least the E-M5 is nearly as fast as my d7000!
But you are right the E-P2 is not that fast but it is already discontinued…

Iris Chrome

+1

LOL!

Plug

Very small lens. I will likely prefer it to the 10-30. Truly portable/even pocketable.

FX DX

You have some large pockets there. For most folks, anything bigger than Canon S95 is not pocketable.

Global

People said that about the iPhone, and then the Galaxy II, and now the Galaxy Note. But the Note has been very popular (not as popular as iphones, but still enough to warrant production and call it pocketable). People indeed have bigger pockets than we suspect!

Skinny jeans excluded (that’s what an iphone is for, I guess).

John Richardson

WTF is a Galaxy phone?

preston

I realize I’m just going by a picture here, but it looks like it’s exactly the same size as the 10-30. The killer here is that they removed VR! This is something that amateurs need even more than pros and it’s something that when not there will say “man, this camera sucks – it only takes blurry photos!”

One More Thought

The Nikon 1 series is indeed a good showing and not so bad as some make it out to be. In fact, the cameras are a lot of fun to use and produce good pics for its sensor size.

That being said, here’s what photographer Ming Thein had to say about the Nikon 1 in relation to the new Sony RX100: In effect, this camera [RX100] makes the Nikon J1 look utterly pointless – it’s cheaper, has a better lens than both the kit zoom and the ‘fast’ pancake prime, and both better specified and more controllable.

The RX100 has the same 1 inch sensor, but it is a better one…a far better one, according to early reviews.

Ming Thein again: it seems that this sensor is another generation ahead of the sensor in the Nikon 1, because it delivers similar noise levels, dynamic range and color accuracy despite having twice the number of photosites crammed in.

So this is not so much as to bash Nikon, but rather to note that Nikon needs to up its game with its 1 series as it will facing increasing competition.

Shawn

The RX100 looks like a great compact camera, if we’re talking about the same thing.

You’re comparing apples to pears. They may look similar, but both have different uses and appeal to different tastes.

The RX100 does not have interchangeable lenses. There will never be an opportunity to go ultrawide or have 35 1.8 or 50 1.8 capabilities.

There is no phase detection integrated into the RX100 sensor, so it is not an ideal camera for action or low light focusing.

Don’t get me wrong, I would grab an RX100 and probably love it for what it is: a compact camera.

Sky

So far there is no such oppurtinity for Nikon either – and Sony lens offers better set of focal lengths / apertures then any lens Nikon managed to design in last year.
All I hear about Nikon 1 is exactly that:
– There might be smaller bodies
– There might be brighter lenses
– There might be DSLR image quality
– There might be ultrawide
– There might be good prime
– There might be dslr-quality AF
Meanwhile? Sorry man, but there’s nothing else then disappointment.
RX100 doesn’t have PDAF? Well, it’s fast enough, and in low light Nikon 1 doesn’t perform very well either – hardly much better then RX100 does. Sorry, but pixel-sized micro sensors don’t do much useful job – Nikon 1 PDAF is mostly gimmick that works fine only in very specific conditions. Besides – let’s face it: Nikon 1 with kit lenses has so large depth of field that you hardly need AF in a first place, lol.

Nikon 1 was suppose to be compact mirrorless system – meanwhile it sux in being compact and sux in being mirrorless. For compact you end up better with RX100, for mirrorless you end up better with NEX (especially with it’s new pancake zoom kit or Zeiss f/1.8 prime – see? There’s f/1.8 prime! ) which by the way won’t be much bigger then Nikon 1 anyway.

Eric Smith

Yes, there is an $1100 prime for NEX. I’m not a N1 fanboy because of most of the reasons mentioned – small sensor and limited lens selection. But the number of people who will buy an NEX and a Zeiss prime is pretty small.

Shawn

Other than being sarcastic and condescending I don’t understand your point.

I think the RX100 looks like a GREAT camera. I suppose you can compare it to the J1/V1 right now as the lens matches all of the Nikon 1 lenses in most aspects. Otherwise you missed the point of my comment.

I’m simply saying that if Nikon ever gets off their butt and puts out a decent body and decent lens set, then it will become a good system. No number of RX iterations will turn the RX into a SYSTEM.

Nikon 1 is a system, one that I think has great potential because of size and performance.

I haven’t yet read Ming Thein’s reviews about J1/V1 and RX100, but I did read Thom Hogan’s reviews of the Nikon 1 system and his expert opinion is telling me the PDAF on the Nikon 1 is streets ahead of any contrast AF to date.

I will buy into Nikon 1 if they get their act together. Otherwise I will probably go m4/3. Carrying around a beer can attached to a cell phone (ex NEX, NX, and EOS M) is not my idea of downsizing from a DSLR or upgrading from a P&S (like the RX100).

I might even consider the RX100 as my next compact, it looks GREAT.

Zograf

What was wrong with the original 10-30 kit lens? It has great image quality at all focal lenghts and apertures! Or, Nikon decided it is too much for a kit lens

Sky

Size? Or perhaps also it lacks in resolution for higher MPx sensor, as possibly Nikon went back to Sony begging for RX100 sensor, so now they need at least one lens that can match it’s resolution?
I’d bet it’s the second option.

Zograf

Okay I’ll bet for the size(though I don’t see much of a priciple difference), in expense of the better resolution the 10-30 will retain… Well, the only way to find out is wait a little bit and see.

BornOptimist

The RX100 sensor does not have phase-detect sensels, so that sensor are not suitable for Nikon 1 -cameras.

brian

If there’s no major upgrades to the camera then why the new model I wonder. To reestablish the too high price point?

preston

Exactly. They are saying, “We’ve looked over all the features and capabilities and decided that it is perfect, so we did not change anything, but since this took time to assess you will have to pay full msrp again for a while to get a new one.”

http://www.facebook.com/MarkWhitePhotographyProductions Mark

What does “No major upgrades” mean? Why would they even introduce the camera if there are no significant upgrades in technology or sensor?

Mark

Sam

I’m a bit afraid that the changes are on the software side. Fixed some of the things that have caused complaints. Basically something that could be implemented to J1 just as well but won’t be because Nikon wants you to buy a new cam.

BornOptimist

These cameras follows the same evolution as the compact cameras. They doesn’t change much from generation to generation. It is a must to release a new one just to release something. Just look at the 4/3 and m4/3 cameras. Hardly any evolution at all, and they are already on the fourth or fifth generation.

D

Boring. Where is the good stuff?

Danny Brown

D800 left autofocus.

That’s all.

LOL.

jec6613

The consumer market demands updated models every year, and I’m sure there will be some small updates that will make it worthwhile. Also, the new model number would help them package a new kit lens with it.

Neither the G11 to G12 jump nor the P7000 to P7100 jump included major headline features, but they were both small upgrades. I suspect that this will be similar to those updates.

http://www.facebook.com/MarkWhitePhotographyProductions Mark

Are we to expect any other lenses with the camera besides the new zoom? It could use a few more primes. I could definitely see me carrying around the J1 with the 10/2.8, 18/2.8, 31/2.8, and 50/2.8. If they could make them all pancakes, all 4 would take up less than what the 24-70/2.8 does now.

Mark

Mike

Why can Sony make a f/1.8 zoom for this sensor and Nikon can’t?

Sky

Sony got Zeiss who did it for them 😉 Lens out there isn’t Sony one.

Tuan

f/1.8? That’s a misleading, marketing number. It’s f/1.8-6.3 zoom.

Pablo Ricasso

Well now the thing is small enough to be useful for what it is.

Nikonnut

Wait a minute! No VR??? Id rather have the 10-30 then. Need it for low light.

I wonder what the “small” updates will be? A new nikon tweaked sensor based on the sony RX100 would be sweet.

preston

I really don’t get this as a new kit lens. . . at all. Take out VR, take off lens hood attachment, insignificant change to zoom range that is slightly WORSE, and then keep it the same size (look at the pictures – it can’t be significantly smaller)?

Maybe they want a cheaper system but want to keep the body only cost the same?

Curtis

Ok, so nikon didn’t add any real big improvements from the j1…. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THE POINT OF MAKING THIS THEN?!…

Sky

Real question is: What was the point of making this system?!
Could have made something good instead…
Even Canon did better… c’mon.

Ken

When will Nikon come out with an APS-C sensor mirrorless camera?

fjfjjj

5-10 years after Canon. Predictable.

morten

I 100% agree with ‘What The F_ _ _…’ Thank you Curtis

http://www.facebook.com/MarkWhitePhotographyProductions Mark

Here’s a quick comparison I did in size of the 10-30 and 11-27.5 based on mount size.

Thanks. The size difference is significant. That will help it get into pockets.

preston

Mark, thank you for that size comparison. Yes, it is a significant size (I retract my previous comment about size looking the same), but NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF VR! This is something that the intended audience needs.

http://nikonrumors.com/ [NR] admin

Thanks Mark, I will post this on the blog.

MB`

J1 kit does not sell at 500$. And it does not sell really bad compared to competition!
And now when Canon decided to enter mirrorless market too what Nikon does?
They replace the kit lens with slightly smaller one but with less zoom range and without VR and raise the price to 900$!
That must be some new marketing strategy someone at Nikon invented:
“Yes we know nobody wants this product, so those few who eventually do buy it will have to pay more for less in order for us to raise the profit!”
I only wonder if this will work …

papatole

Well, according to all negative commentators in this forum, Nikon always makes mistakes. But the truth speaks for itself. Nikon’s financial is stronger than ever. Their Even a big earthquake and a huge flood could not stop them. Then whom do you think is right: the commentators or Nikon?

Gary

This size of camera is not for me. But then neither are the Dxxxx or Dx ranges.

But I am interested to know how many J1 and V1 cameras have been bought since they were introduced. Any ideas?

I like that the zoom lens is more compact, as a kit lens for a camera in this portable size should be. I agree with previous posters, it would be nice to see some more large aperture pancakes for the 1 series of Nikon’s.

Personally I’d like to find a camera as portable as possible with a good sensor and proper RAW, mainly as a camera to use while hiking, climbing, snowboarding or mountain biking. On the plus-side would also be if the camera would be weather-proofed, although I could solve that by using some plastic bags. Minus the weather-proofing, Canon S100 is the closest camera I’ve found to fit my needs – it’s extremely portable once the lens is detracted.

I find it quite weird that Nikon hasn’t released any camera fitting the really portable category with RAW capabilties. To me it seems like a gap in Nikon’s product line. Nikon 1 series are close in specs for what I’d want, but for true portability I’d like a camera with a detractable zoom.

http://vimeo.com/dahlfors Johan D

And btw, does anyone of you have experience of shooting the J1/V1 in cold weather?

I’d be interested in knowing about battery life in -5 to -20 degrees Celcius conditions (25 to -4 degrees Fahrenheit). One thing most reviewers don’t bring up…

LP

SKY should go buy Sony, 312 billion bucks worth of it, and that just to keep talking about Sony before it disappears… Instead of trashing everybody else, wonder why those numbers are SO “good”…

LP

Million, not billion, still quite some money to hand out… Not your weekly allowance…

http://www.truphotos.com gnohz

The new design of the body and lens looks real slick and cool 😀

Lars

Well, maybe Nikon got smart and moved the “VR” into the camera body like Pentax has done since forever. It’s not a great a solution (because the anti-shake-system is not tailored to each lens), but it takes some cost out of the lenses of what I guess was meant as a “cheaper” system camera.
Probably not, since they will make more money slapping that VR into any lens they make and make the consumers pay each time.